Automatic aeroplane releaser



Oct. 17, 1933. E, AIELLO 1,930,462

AUTOMATIC A'EROPLANE RELEASER Filed Oct. 28, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ewes{W56 [/0 INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented Oct. 17, 1933 UNirsn STATESAUTOMATIC AEROPLANE RELEASER Ernest Aiello, .Walla Walla, Wash, assignorof one-half to Jean Speros Southas, Cristobal,

Canal Zone Application October 28,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an automatic aeroplane releaser and has forthe primary object the provision of means for aiding an aeroplane torapidly obtain flight from a standing position on the ground and tofirst provide chocks to prevent accidental forward motion of theaeroplane dur ing the tuning or warming up of its power medium and alsountil sufiicient pulling power has been obtained from the power mediumto assure in rapid ascent of the aeroplane when automatically releasedby the device.

With these and other objects in view this invention consists in certainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts tobe hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had tothe following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating an aeroplane with anautomatic releaser applied thereto and constructed in accordance with myinvention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the same with thereleaser occupying a position to elevate the forward end of theaeroplane from the ground.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1. 7

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the releaser in aposition as the aeroplane assumes flight.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view showing the aeroplane elevatedby the releaser.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view illustrating one of the supportinglegs.

Figure 'l is a detail sectional View showing one of the journals for thereleaser to the aeroplane.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary diagrammatical View showing various positionsassumed by the aeroplane during the operation of the releaser.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates afragmentary portion or forward part of an aeroplane fuselage havingarranged at the front end thereof the usual propeller 2. A running gear3 is secured to the fuselage 1 rearwardly of the forward end thereof andincludes the usual depending members 4 carrying axles on which groundwheels 5 are journaled, the members 4 being reinforced by struts 6. Therunning gear 3 is located directly under the heaviest part of thefuselage.

The members 4 of the running gearare provided with journals '7 rotatablyreceiving the ends of a shaft 8 on which are provided spaced legs 9,

PATENT OFFICE 1932. Serial No. 640,067

each including an internally threaded section 10 carried by the shaft 8and receiving therein a section 11. The section 11 has threadedconnection with the section 10 and may be adjusted relative to thelatter for the purpose of increasing and decreasing the length of theleg. Each section 11 carries a foot 12 having a roughened or knurledface 13 for contact with the ground and is adapted to bit into thelatter to prevent slipping during the use of the device.

A cam 14 is secured to the shaft 8 and is provided with cam faces 15 and16 arranged angularly to each other with an eye portion 1'7 locatedwhere the faces 15 and 16 meet. The face 16 merges into an extension 18formed on the cam.

A tension member 19 is secured to the bottom of the fuselage and isshown in the form of a leaf spring with the free end'portion thereofriding against the faces of the cam during the various positionsoccupied by the legs 9.

A sprocket gear 20 is secured to the shaft 8 and has trained thereover asprocket chain 21 extending through a slot 22 in the bottom of thefuselage and is in turn trained over a sprocket wheel 23 secured to ashaft 24 journaled in bearings 25 mounted in the fuselage. Aratchet gear26 is secured to the shaft 2 engaged by a ratchet 27 carried by a lever28 having one-end journaled on the shaft 25. The ratchet 2'? is providedwith a hand operated operating medium 29 carried by the lever wherebythe ratchet may be engaged and disengaged with the ratchet wheel 26 andwhen in engagement with the latter it will lock the lever 28 to theshaft 24 so that said shaft may be rotated in either direction for thepurpose of rotating the shaft 8 in a corresponding direction.

Spring clips 29 are carried by the fuselage l and normally receive andgrip the legs 9 to support them in an inoperative position, as shown inFigure l in full lines.

In operation the legs are lowered lo a dotted line position shown inFigure 1, bringing the feet 13 into engagement with the ground and whenin this position the feet and legs act as a chock to prevent accidentalforward motion of the aeroplane when resting on the ground, this beingdesirable when tuning or warming up an engine for flight. After theengine has been tuned its speed is increased, consequently increasingthe pulling power of the propeller 2, causing the aeroplane to moveforwardly and upwardly into an elevated position, being supported by thelegs, as shown in Figure 2. This operation causes considerable power tobe utilized by the engine due to he fact that the pulling power mustovercome the resistance offered by the weight of the forward end of theaeroplane being moved upwardly to rest upon the legs in an elevatedposition. Also the movement of the legs from the dotted line position inFigure l to that shown inFigure 2 works against the action or tension ofthe resistance member 19 bearing on the cam 14. The aeroplane when in aposition as shown in Figure 2, as before stated, the heaviest part issupported by the legs and the tail skid of the aeroplane, positioningthe fuselage in an inclined plane, ready for flight. Further increaseindevelopment of power by the powerinedium will cause the legs to swingrearwardly and as soonas the legs pass beyond a vertical position theymove rapidly in a rearward and upward direction, suddenly releasing theaeroplane and due to the large development of power, theaeroplanerapidly moves into fiight off of the ground, consequentlymaterially aiding the aeroplane in a rapid ascent from the ground andonly requiring a comparatively short travel of the aeroplane in aforward direction before ascending or leaving the ground; The legs whenmoved in a vertical position swing rearwardly and upwardly, the tensionelement engages the face 16 and the extension 18 of the cam 14,retaining the legs in close proximity to the botiom of the fuselage andextending in a rearward direction with respect to the aeroplane. Theoperator or pilot after the aeroplane is in flight may manipulate thelever 28 for the purpose of swinging the legs forwardly into engagementwith the clips 29 so that the legs will be supported out of the way ofthe running gear or wheels thereof when making a landing.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that minor changes may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention, as claimed.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. In combination with an aeroplane having a fuselage provided with arunning gear and a power medium, a shaft journaled to the running gear,combined chock and supporting means carried by the shaft, means carriedby the fuselage for supporting said first means in an inoperativeposition, manually operated means connected to the shaft for moving saidfirst means from an inoperative position into engagement with the groundto act as a chock for the aeroplane, saidfirst means adapted to elevatethe aeroplane into an inclined position on the developing of apredetermined amount of power from the power medium, a combined cam andtension means between the shaft and fuselage to resist the action ofsaid first means during its movement of elevating the aeroplane and toautomatically release said first means for a limited movement away fromthe ground to suddenly free the aeroplane for flight.

2. In combination with an aeroplane having a fuselage provided with arunning gear, and a power medium, a shaft journaled to the running gear,legs carried by said shaft, a manually operated means connected to theshaft for positioning the legs either in engagement with the ground orinto an inoperative position adjacent the fuselage, said legs, when inengagement with the ground, adapted to act as a chock against forwardmotion of the aeroplane during the warming up or tuning of the powermedium and adapted to elevate the aeroplane into an inclined position onthe development of a certain amount of power by the power medium, a camcarried by the shaft, and a tension member carried by the fuselage andengaging the cam and adapted to resist the rearward swinging movement ofthe legs during the elevation of the aeroplane into an inclined positionand adapted, after the elevation of the aeroplane and on the developmentof a certain amount of power, to free the legs for rearward swingingmotion and automatically free the aeroplane for flight from the inclinedposition under the influence of the power developed by said powermedium.

3. In combination with an aeroplane having a fuselage provided with arunning gear and a power medium, a shaft journaled to the runing gear,adjustable legs carried by said shaft, a manually operated meansconnected to the shaft for positioning the legs either in engagementwith the ground or into an inoperative position adjacent to fuselage,said legs when in engagement with the ground adapted to act as a chockagainst the forwai motion of the aeroplane during the warmin up ortuning of the power medium and adapted to elevate the aeroplane into aninclined position on the development of a certain amount of power by thepower medium, a cam carried by the shaft, and a tension member carriedby the fuselage and engaging the cam and adapted to resist the rearwardswinging movement of the legs during the elevation of the aeroplane intoan inclined position and adapted, the elevation of the aeroplane and onthe development of a certain amount of power to free the legs forrearward swinging motion and automatically free the aeroplane for fiightfrom the inclined position under the influence of the power developed bysaid power medium.

4. In combination with an aeroplane having a fuselage provided with arunning gear, and a power medium, a journaled to the running gear,adjustable iegs carried by said shaft, feet on said legs, a manuallyoperated means connected to the shaft for positioning the legs either inengagement with the ground or into an inoperative position adjacent tothe fuselage, said feet when in engagement with the ground adapted toact as a chock against the forward motion of the aeroplane during thewarming up u or tuning of the power medium and adapted to elevate theaeroplane into an inclined position on the development of a certainamount of power by the power medium, a cam carried by the shaft, atension membercarried by the fuselage and engaging the cam and adaptedto resist the rearward swinging movement of the legs during theelevation of the aeroplane into an inclined position and adapted afterthe elevation of the aeroplane and on the development vof a certainamount of power to free the legs for rearward swinging motion andautomatically free the aeroplane for flight from the inclined positionunder the infiuence of the power developed by said power medium;

ERNEST AIELLO.

